Snowplow



Aug. 15, 1950 o. A. INGERsoLl.

SNOWPLOW Filed July 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l je? 92161@ A118- 15 1950 o. A. {NGERsoLL i 2,518,622

SNOWPLQW Filed July 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE sNowrLoW otis A. Ingersoll, Martinsburg, N. Y.

Application July 1c, 194s, serial No. 38,982

k (ci. sv-4s) 1 Claim. l

' The invention relates to apparatus for removing snow from streets, highways and the like, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a snow remover adapted to be adjustably mounted on an automotive vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a snow remover of the character indicated above comprising a rotor adapted to be actuated by driving means operatively connected with a. source f power mounted on the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a snow remover of the character indicated above, the rotor of which comprises adjustable fan blades adapted to cut and feed snow to expeller plates forming parts of the rotor and arranged radially therein. Y

A still further object of the invention is to provide a snow remover of the character indicated above, the rotor of which is mounted in a casing with an open front, the sides and'bottom of whichy form relatively stationary snow cutters.

Other objects of the invention not specifically mentioned may appear in the following specification describing the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not to be limited or restricted to the exact construction Yand combination of parts, but that such changes and alterations can be made which fall within the scope of the claim appended hereto.

In order that my invention may be better understood I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompany drawings, wherein: n

Figure 1 is aside view in elevation of the snow remover in 'accordance with the'invention a portion of the rotor housing and of the rotor being broken away. y

Figure 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the snow remover in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation, partly insectio.

lFigure 4 is a view in perspective of the rotor, a portion of the annular cutting'blade being cut away and the adjustable cutter fan blades andthe shafts supporting them omitted.

Figure 5 is a'sectional view takenjon line5-5f of Figure 2, and

- Figure 6 is avsectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.4- v

The snow remover.' or plow embodied herein comprises a rotor R rotatably supported by a" housing H. The rotor R. has a-circular rear-wall I0 anda substantially cylindrical central element:

II is mounted on said rear wall coaxially therewith, and extends forwardly therefrom. A plurality of relatively stationary flat fan blades I2 of equal size are secured equidistantly from each other about the circumferential outside surface of the cylindrical element II, intermediate the ends of said elements, sothat they are arranged parallel to the rear wall I0. The side edges of the relatively stationary blades I2 extend radially to the cylindrical element I I and on the outer edges of said blades I2 an annular forwardly projecting cutting blade I3 is mounted. On the rear surface of each relatively stationary blade I2 a central longitudinal expeller rib I4 is formed or mounted so that it projects at right angles to the respective fan blades I2, and the outer end portion of each rib I4 is bifurcated so that its two portions I5 4and I6 respectively extend outwardly at an acute angle to each other. The ribs I A abut the rear wall I0 and may be secured thereto in any conventional manner so thata plurality of open pockets I1 is formed by the rear wall II), the relatively stationary fan blades I2, the cylindrical element II and the expeller ribs I4. A hole I8 is provided in the annular cutting blade I3 adjacent to the forward edge thereof and centrally between each pair of relatively stationary fan blades I2 and in the cylindrical element Il holes I9 are arranged coaxially with the holes I8. In each pair of a coaxial holes IB and I9 a shaft 20 is journalled, on which a flat cutting fan blade 2I is mounted by means ofbearing eyes 22 formed or secured on the rear surface of each cutting fan blade 2|. The side edges of these blades extend radially with trespect to the annular cutter blade 13,' and are of a size that a comparatively small clearance is left between the end edges of the same, the cylindrical element II and the annular blade I3, while the side edges of each oscillating blade .2| overlap thev adjoining relatively stationary blades I2. Said 'side edges 'are preferably beveled, as shown at 23 so that leach edge is adapted to abut atly on the adjacent stationary fan blade I2 or tol -T he housing H comprises arear wall 2lil the: .upper endV portion of 'which` isV shaped semicircular. On the base diameter'of this portion a laterally 'projecting shoulder 2l is formed, at eachside, and the side edges 28 of the housing rear wall 26 extend straight downwardly from said shoulders. The bottom edge of the housing rear wall 25 slopes downwardly from the lower end of each side edge 28 toward the longitudinal center line of said rear wall at an obtuse angle to the adjacent side edge as shown at 29. On the rear side of the rear wall 26 and centrally thereof a longitudinal bracket bar B is arranged having a fiat lower end portion 3B secured in any conventional manner to the rear wall 26, an intermediate lportion 3l extending upwardly and rearwardly and a main portion 32 extending upwardly parallel to the rear wall 26, The stub shaft 25 on the circular rear wall le of the rotor sprocket chain 4l is trained over the two sprocket gears. The shaft 46 extends rearwardly beyond the bracket bar B and is operatively connected by means of a universal joint 4B and a shaft 49 with a source of power (not shown) in the vehicle indicated at 50, on which the snow remover is mounted.

On the rear surface of the rear wall 26 of the housing H a pair of U-shaped pivot brackets 5I is securely mounted at the same level with each other and at equal distances from the side edges of said rear wall. A second pair of U-shaped R extends rotatably through the rear wall 25-of vthe housing H and the main bracket bar portion 32 so that it is located centrally ofv the 'semicircular portion of the rotor rear-wall l0. A wall W extends forwardly from and at right angles to the rear wall of the housing H andfollows44 the outlines of the upper and side edges of the said rear wall,v the size of which is such that the wall W is spaced from the annular cutting blade I3 to permit the rotor R to rotate freely. The semi-circular upper portion of the wall- 'W projects forwardly beyond the rotor R -asV s-hown at 33 and the forward edges of the downwardly ex,- tending straight side portions Sli of the wall W form cutting edges. The lower edges of the side Wall portions 34 slope upwardly toward the rear and a. bottom wall 35 is curved rearwardly and upwardly, so that its rear edge which isV secured to the rear housing wall 26 is arcuate coaxially with the rear wall 26 of the rotor IB. Each side edge of the bottom wall 33 is'securedY to the adjacentstraight side portion of the wall o W and thefront edge of the bottom wall 35 is located in the same plane with the lower front corners of the straight side portions of the wall W and is cut back from said corners towardthe center, so that said front edgeforrns two cutting edges 3l joining each other in the center of the bottom wall. and forming an obtuse angle with each other. A cutter C- comprises anV upper cen-- tral blade 38 and two side blades 39 extending in the same direction at right angles to the central blade.v The cutter C is secured to the wall W so that the end portions of the sid-eV bladesl 39 are arranged tangentially tothe arcuate upper portion of the wall W. The front edges of the side blades form continuations of the cutting` edges on the side wall portions 3d. Thelength of the, side blades 3%3v is such that the central blade 38. extends, above the arcuate portion of the wall W.

On veach forwardI lower corner of the bottom wall 36 a rearwardly extending glide shoe 40 isfastened in any conventional manner. and-isv -pro. vided at its rear end'with an upwardly projecting portionl M,v secured with -its upper end portion tothe housing rear wall 26. y.

A substantially rectangular slot 4.2 is provided 1n the upper .semi-annular portion of the wall- W and isA located symmetricallyabout the highest portion of said wall portion and so that the-expeller ribs lf! passdireotly underneath said opening, when` the rotor R, is rotated. Upwardly ex-r tending flanges 43 are securely mounted onthe wall'Wy along the front and rear edges of the opening l2 in any conventional manner and a shaft-64 is rotatably supported by the rear ange 43 and the main portion 3,2 of 'the bracket bar B parallel to thestub `shaft 25. A comparatively large sprocket gear 45 is rigidly mounted en; the stub shaft 25 and a comparatively small sprocket gear 46 is rigidly mounted on. the snai-1144.` A

ylevel with the shoulders 2l on the housing rear wall. On the vehicle 5U four U-shaped pivot vbrackets 53 are firmly mounted so that they approximately correspond with the pivot brackets 5l and 52 on the snow remover housing H. The corresponding upper pivot brackets 52 and 53 are connected with each other by push bars '54, pivotally secured to said brackets by 'means of pivot pins 55:. The corresponding lower pivot brackets 5t' and 53 are connected with each othery by push bars 55 pivotally secured to said brackets by means of pivot pins 51. The lower push bars 56- are reinforced by means of cross braces 5l' tov prevent lateral movement of the snow remover embodied herein. The pivot pins 55- and 5l extend transversely through the pivot brackets 52 and 5l respectively to permit up and down movement -ofthe snow removerin conformance with the ground to be cleaned. A pivot bracket 5t is mounted on the vehicle 5) and a hydraulic cylinder 59. has at its closed end an eye bracket 6D pivotally connected with the pivot bracket by means of aA pivot pin 3l. The piston rod 62 of a piston' (not shown) mounted in said cylinder is pivotally connected with a bracket 63 fastened on the bracket bar 32 adjacent to the upper end thereof. A substantial-ly rectangular stiffener plate 54 is secured' in any conventional manner with one of its longitudinal edges to the rear wall 2-5 of the housing H and with its other longitudinal edge to theebracket bar' B to reinforce the latter.

The cylinder 53 is connected with a compressorV or the like (not show-n) in the vehicle by means of flexible tubes 65 adapted to conduct compressed airor the like into the cylinder to move the piston and piston rodI 62 downwardly or upwardly respectively whereby vthe snow remover is pivoted about the pivot pins 55 and 5l at will. v

. The above described snow remover operates as follows:- Compressed air is admitted into the cylinder 59 to pivot the housing H in such position that `the lower cutting blades '31 are'located adjacf-zntv to the surface'of the street tov be cleaned. The vehicle 50 is set in mgotion tov push the snow remover into the snow in front of it. The blades 34, 3l, 3B and 39V are forced into the snow and the lrotorv R, is driven selectively either clockwise or counter-clockwise, whereby the-'snow outy by the blades mentioned above is eut into smal-ler portions by the annular blade [13, andthe adjustable fan blades 2|. The snow slides through the openings between the acting cutting edges of the blades 2|' and the adjacent relatively stationary -ran blades` l-2 into the pockets Il from where it is expelled by centrifugal force. The snow leaves' the snowY remover through the opening 42 in the housing H. If itis desired to'remove thefsnow toward'the. right of the direction of travel of the vehicle, the rotor R is rotated counter-'clockwise and when the snow 1SV tobe placed at; the; left lof the Vdirection of,

travel the rotor is rotated clockwise, when looking at it from the front. The snow scooped up by the lower` cutting blades 31 is partly conducted directly into the pockets I1 in the rotor R.

I claim:

In a snowplow attachment for motor Vehicles, a housing adapted to be supported at the front end of the Vehicle, a rotor mounted in said housing, means for operatively connecting said rotor with a power source on the vehicle, said rotor having a circular rear end Wall, a hub extending axially forward from said end wall, a plurality of flat Ifan-shaped elements extending radially from and equidistantly spaced about said hub and disposed in spaced parallel rela tion with respect to said end wall, a rib extend ing radially outward from said hub and between the center of each of said elements and said end 'wall and forming substantially triangular shaped Vpockets between the same, an annular cutting blade carried at the outer ends of said elements and projecting forwardly therefrom, a. plurality of radially disposed shafts journalled in said hub and said annular cutting blade, each of said shafts being centered with respect to the space between adjacent of said elements, and a fan-shaped cutting blade mounted for oscillatory movements on each of said shafts.

OTIS A. INGERSOLL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

